77 Years ago this week the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill delivered a speech to their House of Commons remembered as the ‘We Shall Fight’ speech. You may remember this speech from your history classes but you may not remember that it was in response to the ‘Miracle at Dunkirk.’

In late May and early June 1940 over 300,000 British, French, Belgian and Canadian troops were surrounded by a massive German force in and around the French port of Dunkirk. They were low on ammunition, almost out of food and the British Navy lacked the sealift capability to rescue even a small percent of the stranded. The entire British Expeditionary Force was about to be destroyed. Imagine the bravery of the British Navy and Merchant Mariners risking everything to rescue this force…now think back to your history lessons and you may remember the other force that made the ‘Miracle’ possible… If you said, everyday Brits, civilians, amateur boaters, or fisherman then you remember your history. That’s right, British civilians went to sea, into war-ravaged waters in every imaginable type of watercraft and rescued their soldiers and allies. The greatest defeat in British military history was averted largely through the actions of the last minute civilian volunteers.

In his speech to the House of Commons on that day in June, 1940 Churchill declared:

…we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty’s Government – every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation.

The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.

We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender…

It’s with great sadness that we realize in 77 short years elements of Her Majesty’s government has a different approach to those who would subjugate our British cousins. This approach is called Run, Hide, Tell and is counter-terrorism policy at both the local and national levels.

Now don’t get me wrong. There are times when running, hiding and telling are the appropriate responses to violence but those are not the only appropriate responses. The British Expeditionary Force ‘ran’ from certain defeat in 1940 so that they could return better prepared to fight and eventually defeat the fascists. When confronted with those determined to kill or enslave us, we must be willing to fight. We saw the differences between these two approaches on 9/11/01. For decades we’d been schooled as a populace to be non-confrontational and wait for negotiation or rescue when confronted by hijackers. Three planes full of civilians likely followed that advice and stood by while their planes were used as weapons against important financial and military targets…but that fourth plane, Flight 93 held brave souls who were armed with nothing more than the knowledge of what had happened to the other hijacked flights. These hardy souls didn’t follow their training… they determined that they could no longer Run, Hide, & Tell…they fought back and by fighting back they saved untold numbers of their fellow citizens.

Toward the end of my military career the Department of Defense came out with a policy not much different than Run, Hide & Tell. The warriors I served with and I resolved never to abandon the option to fight. One of the few fates that I can conceive of worse than becoming a murder victim…is being an accomplice to your own demise or, through my inactions, allowing others to die. To paraphrase a great orator: We shall fight in the streets and alleys, we shall fight in the halls and the work places, we shall fight in the markets and we shall fight in the halls of government when confronted by those determined to suppress us under the odious apparatus of Sharia law or any other form of fascism.

To read or listen to the full text of Sir Winston Churchill’s ‘We Shall Fight’ speech click here.

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It seems that some of those adults charged with the “higher education” of America’s youth are hell bent on miseducating our children into perpetual toddlerhood. Not only are our children being taught that feelings are the only barometer of right and wrong but they are also being taught that there is no dishonor in trampling the rights of others. Additionally, sensitivities in these infantilized adults are intentionally being heightened to such an extent that they would have left our ancestors quivering in puddles of their own urine instead of carving the land of the [formerly] free and the home of the [formerly] brave out of a continent of wilderness. What follows are the Top 10 Examples of Miseducating Young Adults Into Children from the past few weeks.

Melissa Click of the University of Missouri who insisted that she needed “… some muscle over here” to prevent a journalist from reporting on a public demonstration taking place in a public place.

The master of Yale’s Pierson College said his title reminds distressed students of slavery.

Wesleyan University’s student government threatened the budget of the school newspaper over a column critical of campus’ leftists.

A Washington State University professor indicated that she would lower the grade of any student who described those who immigrate to the U.S. in violation of U.S. immigration law as “illegal immigrants.”

Another Washington State professor’s syllabus for “Introduction to Multicultural Literature” states that white students should demonstrate their “grasp of history and social relations” by “deferring to the experiences of people of color.”

Another Washington State syllabus for “Women & Popular Culture,” threatened failure for those students who use derogatory or oppressive language such as “referring to women/men as females or males.”

The University of Tennessee’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion suggested replacing problematic pronouns such as “he, she, him, & her” with gender-neutral terms such as “ze, hir, xe, xem, or xyr”.

The University of California system’s sensitivity auditors declared the statements “I believe the most qualified person should get the job” and “America is the land of opportunity” as “hostile” and “derogatory.”

The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point’s list of racial microaggressions includes “America is a melting pot” and “There is only one race, the human race.”

Mount Holyoke College canceled its production of “The Vagina Monologues” because it was considered insufficiently inclusive of women without vaginas…meaning men who ‘feel’ like they should be women.

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I read Chris Kyle’s book “American Sniper” and think it is one of the best books out there. By all accounts, Clint Eastwood and company have done it more than justice with the recent movie version they created. On the heels of its release, there has been a fire storm of progressives* decrying the effort and besmirching the memory of Chris Kyle; a true American hero. They’ve called him a hate filled racist, said he reminds them of fictional Nazis, and more. It has raised a bit of debate on the matter. Well, I have the short answer on the subject for you Prepography readers:

A: It’s not about the fact that the sniper shoots, it about the fact of why the sniper shoots that is important.

You can take the stance that all snipers are equal because they shoot. In which case you are also saying that every ideology behind the shots are equal. Or, you can take the stance that “why” the sniper shoots is what ultimately matters. In which case you are making a moral judgement behind the ideology of why the shot was taken.

In the end it comes down to this; either you think the ideologies that leads to death camps and killing children with drills is equal to the ideology that values life and individual freedom (even if it doesn’t do it right all the time), or you think there is a moral difference between them.

You may ask why I am bringing this up on a preparedness site? Well, I’ll tell you. The morals that guide a person are what matters. If you can not make the moral distinction between differing ideologies, cultures, and values, as is the case for the former, I want to know. I want you to declare it to the world, for all to see. Shout it from the rooftops, and post about it on every blog you haven’t been banned from. I want people like me to know who will be a threat when the time comes. If you are the latter, I want to know because if you are not an ally, you, at the very least, will not be an overt threat should the SHTF.

A bit dramatic; probably. It is what it is, though; deal with it.

Andrew’s Note: I recently took my Navy veteran father to see the movie and it’s one hell of a movie…but make sure to read the book!

*Henceforth, I will no longer be referring to leftists as “liberals”; they will be referred to as “progressives” or “leftists”. They are the polar opposites of what classical liberal thinking is about, and I will no longer be an accomplice to the abuse of the English language. It is an ingrained habit, so if I slip and use the term liberal when progressive or leftists fits better, I apologise.

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I’ve written previously about The Top 10 Symptoms of Poor Man’s Disease and about how I’ve been unemployed, lived check-to-check and once lived in such a rough neighborhood I counted prostitutes on my way home from work each night…but I never chose to be poor and I do believe that poor is a choice.

I never went hungry growing up or did without anything I needed (and by my high school years had just about everything I wanted) but there was a time when I was very young when my folks would search through the couch cushions at the end of the month to scrape together enough money to have a treat at McDonalds. As an adult I’ve been unemployed, lived check-to-check and I once lived in such a bad neighborhood that I made a game of counting how many prostitutes I passed on my way home from work.

I now live in a small town and one of the benefits of living in a small town is that you get to know many different types of people. Folks with varied economic and educational backgrounds…folks with different definitions of success who define ‘the good life’ in ways many of us couldn’t even imagine. I know lots of folks who don’t have a lot of financial resources but I don’t know a whole lot of ‘poor’ people…and most of the folks I know who are ‘poor’ live a life to be envied by most folks…and I’m not talking about people like Hillary Clinton talking about being broke when she and President Clinton left the White House.

Even those that are members of the lucky sperm club and grow up with all the benefits that family wealth provides have been known to choose poverty… then there are guys like Donald Trump who’s failed and gone bankrupt multiple times, but never let it keep him down.

‘Poor’ is a combination of:

Expenses equaling or exceeding income

Not making changes to bring income up and/or expenses down

Having a poor attitude about it because you ‘deserve more’ or ‘aren’t getting your fair share’

Being poor really is a choice, or more appropriately a series of choices made and choices not made. If you accept my assertion that poor is a choice, why not choose rich. Below are a number of choices to make…or avoid to choose rich. I’ve written this guide as advice for the young…who have opportunities that those of us a little more seasoned might not have…but even if you’ve made some poor choices in the past, it’s never too late to choose rich!

Poor is a choice so:

Choose an education: I don’t care whether it’s an advanced degree, a bachelor’s degree, a certificate from a trade school, or a journeyman trade…just make sure that you get an education or skills that are marketable. The most prestigious degree in the world isn’t worth getting if you can’t earn a living.

Choose to start in the Military: What’s better than getting job training, work experience and college money…how about earning an income and serving your country while you do so. Oh, and it’s the best resume material in the world… what other career entrusts those under 25 with millions of dollars worth of equipment and human lives… There are even part time options called the Reserves and the National Guard. Did you know that less than a quarter of the young people today qualify for military service because of medical conditions or the choices they’ve made (convictions, drug use, obesity, mental health medications, etc.).

Chooseto take an entry level job: The current movement to raise the minimum wage is endangering entry level jobs. No job is beneath you that’s legal and moral. Take that first job that’s unsavory to prove yourself so that you can eventually have the job you want.

Choose to volunteer: Volunteer for more responsibility, accept the unpleasant tasks and prove yourself so that you can move up in the organization or on to the better job or into a career. Volunteer in your community to help others, build your reputation and expand your personal network.

Choose to work: Work even if you don’t have to because that’s how you’ll create more opportunities. I’ve known folks who work until they have enough money to last themselves a few days, weeks or months and then fail to show up or quit to knock around for a while. Don’t lose the gig you have until you already have the one you want and never burn bridges that you might need again.

Choose to treat your employer’s business as if it’s yours: The best employees approach every job as if they’re the business owner. They give 100%, don’t cut corners and look for ways to improve profitability. If you take ownership of your job you will either be rewarded with more opportunities, benefits and pay or will learn that you want to work for another employer.

Choose to be patient: Employers look for and reward loyal employees that perform well over time. Doing a good job is a marathon, not a sprint so don’t expect rewards for working hard for hours or days…think in terms of weeks, months or years depending on your chosen career.

Choose to improve your skills: The smartest guy I ever worked with didn’t rely on his intelligence to get ahead…he spent every spare moment developing skills to become more attractive to potential employers. While the rest of our deployed group went out to dinner or a night on the town he’d stay in and study and practice for IT certifications and work hard learning new software development skills.

Choose to network: You may be the best widget servicer in the world but if you don’t develop a reputation within a group of people who are involved with widgets then you’ll be hard pressed to get that first job.

Choose multigenerational wealth creation: Traditionally, new immigrants to the U.S. expected to work hard for low wages their entire lives in order to improve the opportunities for their children. With all the opportunities available these days, I don’t think that this is necessary any more, but you have to admire the stamina and determination of these immigrants to refuse to think ‘poor.’

Choose a second job: Maybe you need extra experience to achieve your dream job…maybe you just need extra money to make up for some temporary setback or poor financial decisions. Don’t be too proud to take a second job. I’ve had second and often third jobs most of my adult life…often that third job is something that’s mostly fun or gives me a discount for things I enjoy doing. Consider taking a second job that gives back to your community as well as developing your skills…military Reservist, National Guardsman, or reserve law enforcement are such options.

Choose frugality: Spend less money than you make and you’ll be less likely to choose to be ‘poor.’ Especially beware those monthly recurring charges that add up quickly.

Choose to stay out of debt: There are good reasons to take on debt but the only two I can think of are to purchase a business (or equipment) that will bring in much more income each month that you pay our in payments and to buy a house…but a modest house for your income in a good neighborhood.

Choose to stay away from drugs: Drug use doesn’t just slow down your reflexes, it slows down your opportunities. There are a number of jobs, opportunities and promotions that will be denied to you if you choose drugs.

Choose to stay away from crime: I don’t just mean ‘don’t do crime’ I also mean that you should stay away from those who do. Ask any law enforcement officer and they’ll tell you that there is such a thing as guilt by association. Background checks don’t care if you were ever convicted.

Choose to look employable: If you’re going to be a tattoo artist than it’s OK to have tattoos all over your neck and forearms but if you want to go into the Army or become a nurse than such tattoos will make it more difficult to find employment. The same goes with tattoos, purple hair, mohawks and all similar types of expression. Look like what you want to be…dress for the job you want as well.

Choose to act the part: Don’t just look like what you want to be…act like it as well. Those who get the opportunity most likely looked and acted like they already had it.

Choose to take care of yourself: You have to be and look physically fit enough to do the job and healthy enough that they expect you to be able to work.

Choose good hygiene: I know a woman who is competent, experienced, dependable, loyal and attractive…but she’s been unexpectedly fired twice recently…she lives in a house with several dogs and she’s let them make her house smell like a urinal which means that any clothes that she puts on that aren’t straight out of the dryer…smell like a urinal. Keep yourself and your environment clean so that nothing distracts from you competence.

Choose how you define ‘rich:’ I know a guy who lives check-to-check but he wants to fix cars and work from his farm so he does. He’s had good paying jobs but he always comes back to the farm because that’s what he wants and I’ve never once heard him complain about being ‘poor.’

Choose continuous self development: From time to time I’ve found myself resting on my laurels…I’m never happy again until I start working on myself again…mentally, physically, career skills, personal networks…whatever…and once I start growing again…I’m always happier and seem to make more money.

Choose to start a business: You must take risks to seek rewards.

Choose to pick yourself up after your failures and begin again: Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. Learn from your mistakes, don’t let them cripple you emotionally, and have the strength try again

Choose not to quit: Don’t like what you’re doing, keep doing it anyway until you find the next thing. Finish the semester, stay at the job until you find the next one and for heavens sake don’t give up on your marriage or kids.

Choose to ignore the poverty industry: There are a whole lot of people out there making a living off of keeping other people poor. Don’t buy into their philosophies of division, grow a chip on your shoulder or fall into the trap of ‘managing’ your income so you don’t loose your disability payments, EBT card, or now healthcare. By all means use the social safety net if you don’t have any other alternatives until you can transition to self sufficiency but beware because they are designed to trap you into dependence by penalizing you as you begin earning your own way. In other words, choose to earn your way, not fight for your fair share. Fighting for your fair share is just another way of choosing poverty.

What’s this have to do with preparedness? A lot actually, by choosing to live rich you’ll be happier, deal with setbacks more effectively, be more self sufficient and perhaps have more money for preps. Survival is an attitude…so is choosing to live richly.

Bonus Choice: Choose to vote for politicians that will leave you and your pocketbook alone: Compliance takes up so much of any business owner’s time and the penalties for non-compliance can be crippling…don’t let these obstacles keep you from trying but do your best to vote out the bastards that punish entrepreneurs and those who create our GNP.

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“Prepping As A Moral Imperative” is going to be a little “evangelical prepping”. That is a phrase coined by AJ. No, this isn’t a sermon on Christianity. I do believe the Bible is very clear on being prepared and self-sufficient. I am going to look at the matter in a more secular manner. The evangelical portion comes through my apologist’s attempt to draw more people in to “prepping”. This essay frames the argument in a way that tries to appeal to the “rational being” in the non-prepper.

What is a Moral Imperative?

An imperative is a principal that a person is unable to resist. Reason is what makes an imperative a moral choice. It becomes a moral “law” that must be followed. To act against this law is seen as self-defeating and against reason. We can test moral imperatives by applying a series of tests that German philosopher Immanuel Kant (below right) created in the mid-1700s. These tests either verify, or debunk the validity of a moral/ethical idea. Kant’s ultimate goal was to establish how much sway a moral argument should hold in a society.

Kant’s Formulas

The first test is called “The Maxim Test”. A maxim is a statement of truth. A very simple and easily understood maxim is, “water is wet”. A philosophical maxim is one that states a moral truth. This type of maxim is one that all should follow. Take lying, for instance. If the act of lying is morally right, then that morality must extend to everyone. Chaos would reign, if everyone lied all the time. This chaos would be self-defeating. Thus, as a rule, lying is bad. The second test is the “Individual As An End” test. This test is meant to determine if the imperative is benefiting the individual alone or others, as well. The greater good is served, if it passes the test; even if the individual benefits. A good example would the white lie. You are serving your own self interest of “being kind” when you tell a white lie. This is done at the cost of sacrificing the honesty being asked for. Only one person benefits from the white lie; you. The third and final test is called the “Kingdom of Ends”. It combines the first two tests and applies it to the group. basically, a moral imperative is true, if the group can set down moral laws which apply to everyone equally. No specific sub-group, or individual gains from the application of this new moral “law”.

Putting Prepping As A Moral Imperative To The Test

Let’s apply Kant’s formulas to prepping as a moral imperative. The maxim of prepping as a moral imperative proposes that being prepared for an emergency is beneficial. Not being so would be self-defeating. It reasons that a person who is concerned about their well being would take steps to protect against foreseeable emergencies. Even the US government promotes individual preparedness on its Ready.Gov site. The maxim passes the first test, even by government standards. The next test determines whether the individual is using prepping to benefit themselves alone, or if the whole of society is served by the act. The person who prepares is acting in a self-preserving manner. In the event of an emergency, they would no doubt benefit. Society also reaps rewards during a time of crisis from the prepared. The person who preps needs less help during a crisis. They use less communal resources and are better placed to help with recovery. In fact, the well prepared can give aid to others in need, when called upon. Again, the idea of prepping passes philosophical muster. The last test helps us determine whether the morality of prepping benefits across the whole of society, when applied to every individual. If every individual in society applied the principles of “prepping”, then in times of crisis, society would benefit from the maxim. During the crisis, no one group benefits, to the detriment of another. No individual is better, or worse off than another, except to the extent in which they had prepared for said crisis. In the end, though, society is much better off should everyone be prepared to some extent, rather than some being prepared, while others are not.

Prepping As A Moral Imperative, An The Appeal To Reason

I realize that I am most likely preaching to the choir. Chances are if you visit Prepography regularly you already feel that prepping is a moral imperative. Your take away from “Prepping As A Moral Imperative” can be a new tool to work on the hesitant. If you don’t buy in to the whole prepping mentality, ask yourself this one thing, “Is what has been put forth in favor of prepping as a moral imperative reasoned, rational and logical?” If the answer is yes, then ask yourself, “Why am I not becoming more prepared and self-sufficient?”

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Prepography is devoted to preparedness and self reliance. You have the chance to encourage us to be more self reliance as a nation because today we exercise the franchise we’ve inherited through the blood of our forefathers (as well as the 15th and 19th Amendments to the Constitution). As my regular readers know, I’m not a fan of either of our state-sanctioned political parties but I believe our choice this year is clear.

Our choices are between a vote for ‘big government’ or ‘really, really big government.’ When faced with these options I encourage you to vote for the lesser of two evils and cast your vote for those pesky big government Republicans.

Starting tomorrow, or whenever the Supreme Court has declared the winner…it’s time to begin lobbying our President-Elect or President-Reelect, Congressmen and women, State and Local officials to start the process of dismantling The State of Entitlement we’ve created and get the U.S. back to work!

This is not a political website! [AJJ’s Note: Maybe a little bit when it comes to assaults on Individual Liberty] Its purpose is to educate, communicate and facilitate the process of personal preparation for disaster and build self-reliance. However, one of the highest probability and greatest threats likely to cause The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) comes directly from the political realm! I have discussed taxation, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Dependence, and the national debt-saster, in previous posts. I, like a sizable majority of Americans, feel the country is “headed in the wrong direction” and that is a direct result of the actions and inactions of politicians. Thus, I will Reality Check various partisan political topics from time to time.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been sodomized for committing the politically mortal sin of telling the truth during a private political event in which he stated that he felt 47% of Americans would be disinclined to support him because they pay no federal income taxes and/or receive a federal stipend of some kind under the current administration. Romney had the temerity to openly and accurately discuss the taxation and dependency realities of our country!! He then had the gall to stand by his statements and beliefs rather than blubber about how he didn’t mean it and feels horrible about it!! No one, expects his “honesty attack” to catch on with other politicians and, in fact, this condition is likely to prove terminal for him. What it has done is to provide counter-battery fire, a return salvo, to the drooling mutants making up the Occupy Movement and their successful ‘1%’ attack. (more…)

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Yesterday I asked the question: What is the most important song in America?

I know…it’s a strange question to ask on a website focused on liberty, self reliance and preparedness but I had a reason for asking it…and I dropped you a hint by focusing it “in America.” [Aside: Usually you won’t catch me referring to the U.S. as ‘America’ as Canadians, Mexicans, Panamanians, Argentinians are all as ‘American’ as I am…but ‘in the U.S.’ would have been giving away my answer.]

Besides being the National Anthem of the U.S since 1931, the Star Spangled Banner was written (the poem, not the melody which was borrowed from an older tune) to commemorate the resilience of Fort McHenry during the third great test (after the Revolutionary war and the transition from a Confederation to a Republic). See below for more on the story of how Francis Scott Key came to write the Anthem.

Why do I bring this up today…because earlier this week a major news organization elected to act disrespectfully towards this revered symbol of the our nation and liberty. Here is Mediaite’s description of the event. (more…)